The 6th Sunday of Easter
This Sunday marks the end of Christian Aid week.
As the coronavirus continues to reduce human activity, we are seeing wild animals reclaiming their territory, significant reductions in pollution, and the healing of the environment - and the birds seem to be singing more loudly in Paulton! This Sunday marks the end of Christian Aid week, the theme of which is a call for humanity to be more in communion with creation, and is the theme for our service this week.
Psalm 96: 1-4a, 11-13
1 O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
Hymn – 82 – O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdE_NKyY_o0
1 O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee:
how great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee:
how great thou art, how great thou art!
2 When through the woods and forest glades I wander
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze:
3 And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
sent him to die, I scarce can take it in
that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
he bled and died to take away my sin:
4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home — what joy shall fill my heart;
then shall I bow in humble adoration,
and there proclaim: my God, how great thou art:
Stuart K. Hine (1899–1989)
Prayer
Come and celebrate our common home as we gather with the family of humanity.
Creator God;
With the mountains, islands and deserts, we honour your glory in creation. With the lakes, rivers and seas, we come to the source of living water. With the land, its soil, seeds and sustenance
we give thanks for your generous provision. With the forests of great trees, the lungs of the planet,
we will sing with joy and clap our hands.
We join with the whole of creation, inspired by those who have gone before and the prophetic voices of today.
To the glory of God, Amen.
These are the words of a young person living with the reality of climate change in the Philippines.
‘I am 19-year-old Glory, from the Philippines. I live on a small island of Tabugon, Carles with my family. It’s beautiful and peaceful, with fresh air, coral reefs, and fresh seafood. But it is changing. Living on an island is very challenging. I really feel the impact of climate change. My message for the world is that, we must act on the crisis of climate change. We need to be responsible. We should be concerned on protecting our surroundings because this has been created for us. We have the wisdom to know what is right and what is wrong.’
Prayer of confession and absolution
For the beauty of the earth, desecrated by pollution, extinguished by forest fires, choked by plastic waste. Christ, our God, we ask you to forgive our reckless greed.
For the urgency of this hour, ignored by apathy or procrastination, wasted by ineffective decisions, denied by economic interests. Christ, our God and Saviour, forgive us for our selfish, short-term behaviour.
For the joy of human love fractured by forced migration, crushed by bereavement, lost to typhoons, floods and starvation. Christ, our God, bringer of justice, forgive us for this climate crisis.
God forgive us.
Jesus bless us.
God’s Spirit help us to grow in love. Amen.
Because we are God’s people, we will care for each other.
Because we are part of God’s creation, we will care for the earth.
Because we are loved by God, we will share God’s love with everyone. Amen
Readings
The prophet, Micah, records God’s despair with his people. In verses 6 & 7, the spokesperson for the community asks what they should do to repair their relationship with God, and in verse 8, Micah confirms what God requires.
Micah 6: 6-8
What God Requires
6 ‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
And in Revelation, we are given an inspiring vision of the earth as God’s home.
Revelation 21:3-6
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ 6Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
Hymn – 102 – For the beauty of the earth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHIfRLNYUGw
1 For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies:
Gracious God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.
2 For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light:
3 For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight:
4 For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
pleasures pure and undefiled:
5 For each perfect gift and sign
of your love so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven:
Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835–1917)
Reflection –
Last Sunday, we read in John’s gospel of Jesus pointing the disciples towards God, but they did not fully understand, and asked for further proofs. Philip asked to be shown the Father. Jesus replied, “10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works”.
Today, John, also the author of the book of Revelation, goes a step further. “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them”.
God, the Father, does not just dwell within Jesus, the Son, but dwells amongst us, his people.
What does it mean to be assured that God dwells amongst us, and how should that impact upon our care of His creation?
To dwell is more than just to live. Living confirms a presence, but dwelling implies a connection and empathy, a peaceful settlement and restful existence which engages in, and values, all that is around. I live in BS39, but I dwell within the community of Paulton.
Made in God’s likeness, we also dwell in creation. This implies much more than the physical environment in which we live, but acknowledges a spiritual connection in which we recognise the presence and awesome power of the divine Creator. Creation is God’s gift to humankind, a gift of endless beauty and complexity in which we can flourish. It is far beyond the practical requirements which we need to survive. It is a gift that we share not only with our neighbours, but with the whole of humanity, not just now, but across generations past and future. Jesus’s call to love our neighbours, people created by God, also includes all of God’s creation, including nature itself. And it is also a call to ensure that future generations share in the blessings that we now enjoy. For in loving creation, we love the Creator, and our neighbours, as ourselves.
As we dwell in creation, engaging in God’s presence, we form an invisible bond, valuing the world around us for the way in which it uplifts us, enabling us to live our lives in their fullness. We have a spiritual connection with the environment as well as a practical one. In creation we find the spiritual presence of God and experience a close bond from deep within our soul, that study and learning alone cannot give us. A beautiful landscape or sunset touches our soul in a way which goes beyond the appreciation of what we can actually see.
We are in danger that our present-day greed will deny this same indwelling of God’s presence to future generations, and rejects the ever-present power of God for ourselves. God will always find others ways to be present with us, but we should not limit that experience for others.
In the book of Genesis, following God’s creative actions, we are repeatedly reminded that “God saw that it was good”. In our actions, may we too value all that has been gifted to us, and by our loving stewardship, may that same creation be a suitable place for God, and ourselves, to dwell together. Amen
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
God of abundant life,
we see your goodness all around us and we thank you for every part of it; from the luscious plants and diversity of creatures which play their part in complex ecosystems, to the dry deserts and stormy seas which test the limits of life.
We pray that in this time of climate crisis and ecological emergency, you may help us to rediscover your love of creation and to reflect that in our own lives.
God, in your mercy – hear our prayer
God of second chances, we recognise the damage we have done to the earth and the injustice we see in society every day, all of it fuelled by worship of profit and possessions.
We pray for the coming of a better world with justice, kindness and humility at its heart.
We ask that you guide us to be co-creators of this new world. Give us confidence to follow the prophetic voices, to stand against injustice to people and to the planet, so that together, in your strength, we stop this climate crisis.
God, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time.
God, in your mercy - hear our prayer. Amen
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Hymn – 693 – Beauty for brokenness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMPE53uP38
1 Beauty for brokenness,
hope for despair,
Lord, in your suffering world
this is our prayer.
Bread for the children,
justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset,
your kingdom increase!
2 Shelter for fragile lives,
cures for their ills,
work for all people,
trade for their skills;
land for the dispossessed,
rights for the weak,
voices to plead the cause
of those who can't speak.
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray:
melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love
from a spark to a flame.
3 Refuge from cruel wars,
havens from fear,
cities for sanctuary,
freedoms to share.
Peace to the killing-fields,
scorched earth to green,
Christ for the bitterness,
his cross for the pain.
4 Rest for the ravaged earth,
oceans and streams
plundered and poisoned —
our future, our dreams.
Lord, end our madness,
carelessness, greed;
make us content with
the things that we need.
Refrain
5 Lighten our darkness,
breathe on this flame
until your justice burns
brightly again;
until the nations
learn of your ways,
seek your salvation
and bring you their praise.
Refrain
Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
Blessing
May God bless us with wonder at creation’s glory.
May God bless us with fury at creation’s spoiling. May God bless us with courage at this critical hour.
And may the blessing of God, Creator, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon us and on all creation,
this day and for the future to come.
Amen.
Rev. Martin Slocombe
CCLI Licence 354889